By Megan Sayles, AFRO Staff Writer, msayles@afro.com
Black Voters Matter (BVM) led a virtual briefing with Black media on April 1, alerting people to escalating attacks on voting rights and urging them to remain vigilant ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
Leaders highlighted current legislative proposals and court cases that could redefine voter access nationwide, particularly in Southern states with large Black populations.
“Organizing and winning an election was never just the issue,” said LaTosha Brown, co-founder of BVM. “The fundamental ability to have access to the ballot has always been the issue.”
One threat is the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which would require proof of citizenship — such as a birth certificate or passport — to register to vote in federal elections. Voting rights advocates warn this could create additional barriers for those who don’t have immediate access to official records, like older adults, low-income residents and unhoused populations.
Leaders also pointed to Louisiana v. Callais, a Supreme Court case that challenges the state’s congressional map and its two majority-Black districts — raising questions about fair representation under the Voting Rights Act.
Additionally, the 47th president issued an executive order on March 31 that directs federal agencies to verify voter eligibility and limits mail-in-ballots to only those confirmed as eligible. The executive order is aimed at “reducing the risk of fraud and protecting the integrity of Federal elections.”
“These are just additional examples of how (President) Trump is using every tool in his toolbox, whether they’re legal or illegal, to try to ensure a certain outcome in the 2026 election,” said Amir Badat, Southern states director and senior advisor for Fair Fight Action. “National organizations, like Fair Fight Action, Black Voters Matter and many others, are working hard between now and November to educate and mobilize the public on all of these issues.”
Terrance Woodbury, founding partner and CEO of public opinion research firm HIT Strategies, highlighted trends shaping the midterm elections.
Woodbury noted that swing voters across America are men of color and young people of color. While affordability is Black voters’ top concern, Woodbury said identity remains the number-one motivator, with the goal of combatting racism at the polls.
According to Woodbury, roughly 57 percent of Black voters live in 10 states across the South, many of which have a history of restricting voting access.
“The South are not red states, they are oppressed states. It is not a coincidence that the states that have the highest Black voting age population also have the lowest Black voter turnout,” said Woodbury. “That is oppression.”
His research also found that 64 percent of Black Americans oppose the war against Iran, 51 percent oppose the SAVE Act, 56 percent are dissatisfied with the way democracy is functioning. Woodbury said these findings reflect growing frustration among Black voters.
To mobilize more Black voters, Woodbury said there must be more effort around engaging Black people in resistance activities, like boycotts, peaceful protests, petitions, town halls and voting itself.
“The more likely they are to take any of these resistance actions now, the more likely they are to vote later because a part of this is expanding that arc of political power beyond just electoral power,” said Woodbury. “They know that voting is not going to solve everything. Instead of promising that in September and October, we are engaging them in ways to resist now.”
As part of its broader strategy, BVM launched the “We Got Us,” campaign and bus tour on April 2. The initiative aims to travel through communities in key states, like Louisiana, Alabama, and Texas, to provide voter education, encourage civic engagement and connect residents with critical resources ahead of the midterms.
The campaign emphasizes collective care and self-determination, using initiatives such as warrant clinics, health care advocacy and environmental justice programs to ensure Black communities have the support needed to protect their rights.
“This is outright war against our communities,” said Cliff Albright, co-founder of BVM. “We want to make it clear that at the end of the day, we got us.”
